Dead Destiny
by BWlorraine13
Summary: Kelly has a power. Not only can she shift into a wolf, but she can control fire. The only thing is that the ability to play with fire has a consequence. Can her and her brother survive their transformation? Or will they end up with a dead destiny?
1. Chapter 1

I widened my eyes of the vastness of the forest. I looked over at my brother, Jake. He gave me a wide look.

_How are we going to know were we're going? _I asked him telepathically. We're twins, and since we're special, we have the ability to talk to each other in the head.

_I have no clue, but I do know I will be in the back. Make sure no one gets left behind. Hopefully, that'll be me._ I laughed at his response, and my dad looked back at us.

"Are you guys talking without us knowing?" He asked.

"No. Why would we do that. I think we all know how much we disagree with your choice of where we're going." I told him.

"Kelly, we told you. You guys need to be around others of our kind." He told both of us.

"There is no one like us. We have no kind." I told him.

"That's not true. They're shifters too. You just have something special." He told me.

"Dad." Jake said.

"I wish I wasn't a Shifter." I told him, plugging in my head phones. I blasted my music.

_Don't mind him. We'll be okay. _My brother told me. I looked over at him and he gave me a reassuring nod. Our dad pulled into the Sherpa park. We were going to a park in Maine, to be camping guides. But the real reason was to get to know other Shifters. Shifters were humans who shifted into wolves, or any other kind of animals. He pulled into a place were people where walking around. Jake and I got out the car and grabbed our bags. Dad followed.

"Alright you guys. I'll see you at the end of the summer. Loosen up, make friends. You'll be seventeen and a half soon. Your big day is coming." He told us. He shook Jake's hand. He gave me a hug. I didn't hug him back.

"You'll thank me at the end of the summer." He told me. I turned my back and started walking. Jake caught up to me and we walked into the main office building. I sensed the Shifters all around us. Jake led us up to the desk. A boy with multi colored hair was leafing through papers.

"Hi. We're here to check in." Jake said.

"Names?" He asked looking at us.

"Jake and Kelly Parker." He told him.

"Oh right. Nice to have you. I'm Lucas Wilde. I'll be you're leader." He said with emphasis. I didn't need to look, or listen to him. Everything I heard through Jake.

"Lindsey, why don't you show them to their cabins." He said. I looked over to see a bright blonde girl step away from a tall long black haired guy. He watched her like an adoring fan. Mates.

"Hi. I'm Lindsey. You must be Jake, and you must be Kelly." She said smiling.

"Hi." Jake said. _Say something back. _He put in.

"Hello." I said quietly. I wasn't shy. I just didn't want to speak to people. I took off my headphones and placed them in my back pocket. Lucas watched us with curiosity. My brother and I were a thing to see. For twins, we were complete opposites. My brother's hair was black with a bright blue tinting. It was legit blue black. His eyes were a bright grey color with long thick black eyelashes to frame the eyes. On the other hand, I had black hair with a red tint. It was bright and yet dark. My eyes were framed by thick eyelashes too, but I had bright green eyes. We were exotic in so many ways.

Lindsey led us to one cabin, where Jake would sleep. "You'll be rooming with Rafe, Connor and Lucas." She told him.

"Okay. Thanks." He told her, and went inside.

"You're going to room with me, and my friends. Kayla and Brittany. We have fun together." She told me.

"Cool." I said. I looked back at Jake's room, and was scared to meet my roommates. When we got there, only one girl was there.

"Hi. I'm Brittany." She said offering her hand.

"Hi." I said shaking it.

"Well, you're beds over there." Lindsey said pointing to the one by the window. I went over and placed my bags down.

_Is it me, or these beds crawling with bugs. I swear. How's your room. Do you have three roommates?_ I heard Jake say.

_Yeah, but I've got it bad. They're all girls. My bed is by the window. Good for an escape. Haha._ I smiled.

_Oh god, here one comes. He looks... weird. Lol. How should I act. Quick._

_Act like a diva. They will never respect you until you show them who's boss._

_Yeah, and until my full power comes in a month, I'll be murdered everyday._

_If you're murdered one day, you can't be alive the next. _I was having the happy conversation when a I girl tapped my shoulder. I turned around to see a girl with bright red hair and blue eyes.

"Hi! I'm Kayla. Nice to meet you roomy." She said.

"Hi, I'm Kelly." I told her.

"Hah! We both have red hair and our names begin with K's. Funny." She said smiling. I nodded and faked smiled.

_Someone shoot me with a silver bullet._

_Anything to get away from here. _Jake responded. I finished unpacking and turned to face the girls.

"So, everyone here changed?" I asked.

"What?" Lindsey asked.

"Everyone here a Shifter?" I asked.

"Um, no. Brittany's not. She's human." Kayla told me.

"Oh. Lucky." I told her.

"You change?" Lindsey asked.

"Not yet. But unfortunately the day is coming." I told them sitting on my bed.

"How are you unhappy?" Brittany asked.

"I hate my future. You have no say. It happens. Everything is forced. You have to find a guy. The moon will make you turn. It sucks." I told them. They all gave me weird looks.

"Why would you hate being a Shifter. You don't know what you've got till it's gone." Brittany told me, agitated.

"Trust me. When you know what you've got, you want to lose it." I told her.

"I've never known a shifter who hates their abilities." Lindsey said.

"You've never met a Shifter like me." I told them.

"Way to be cocky. Lots of people would love to have what you have. Why can't you just enjoy it?" Brittany stormed out the cabin. Lindsey went out after her.

"Emotional?" I asked Kayla.

"No. It's that she wanted to be a shifter bad. To hear you dis them like that. It got to her." She said.

"Oh. I would give her my power if I could. But I don't think she could tame it." I told her.

"Brittany's strong. She's worked hard to be fit. She could handle being a Shifter." Kayla told me. I got up and went to the door.

"I wasn't talking about that power." I told her. I left the cabin.


	2. Chapter 2

Feeling alone, I didn't try to find Jake. I wandered around and caught glimpses of Shifters. None were in Wolf form, but they were there.

_You've done it. Conner doesn't like you. You upset his mate. What'd you do?_

_I simply told her I hated being a shifter. She's human, and she got emotional. Really, it wasn't that big._

_Well, I'm not coming out like that. I'll make snide comments. _I laughed at his plan.

_No matter what you do, you will be murdered every day,_

_I know. Just keeps popping into my plans. So where are you. Maybe we could do some work outs._

_I'm on the edge. I'll meet you by the cafeteria in five._

_Kay. Bring your lighter._

_Never leave without it, sadly. _I started over to the cafeteria. When I got there, Jake was waiting for me with a cup of water.

"Had to go inside. Where do you want to do this?" He asked.

"In the back. Let's try not to bring attention to ourselves." I told him, smirking.

"Yeah, you're a pro." He told me.

"I try not to brag." I said grinning. We sat on the ground. I took out my lighter. I clicked it on and the flame came out. I stared at it until it started getting bigger. Soon I dropped the lighter and the fire was in my hand . I rolled it around, and stared at it some more. I took in a breath and it got small then I let out a big blow and it ignited. Suddenly, Jake's water covered the fire, before it could hit his face. I smiled.

"Aw, I was looking forward to scorching you again." I told him.

"Never again. I just got my eyebrows back." He told me smiling. He moved the water towards me. I expanded my fire until the water and fire were mixed together. We separated our elements. I played with fire while Jake played with water.

"Try making it into ice." I told him. He gave me a determined look. He focused hard and the water started to ice over.

"Nice!" I told him. He smiled and lost concentration.

"Alright, let's see these raging flames." He told me. I gave him a lazy look. "Just try. I know you've been practicing." He told me. I split the fire and held it in two hands. I closed my eyes and pictured the flames in my hands, taking over my arms and becoming big. I squeezed my eyes, then opened them. The fire crept along my arm, but wasn't big.

'You're getting there. Don't worry." Jake told me. I gave him a long sigh.

"I hate this. I wish we didn't need to practice. I hate having to control our abilities." I told him.

"We know what happens if we don't. When we transform, they could over take us and kill us. We need to control them. On top of that, I have to go through it alone." He told me.

"I'm thinking about going at it alone." I told him.

"What! You can't." He told me. "You'll..." He cut short. "You don't want that." He told me. I shrugged and got rid of the fire.

"If the fire doesn't kill me, being alone will. No guy wants me. I'm going to be alone anyway." I told him. "It's a win, win situation." I told him.

"No it's not. Because I lose. I lose you. Don't think about yourself. Think about how you'll hurt me and dad. Dad. He's already lost mom. He can't lose you." He told me. We both stood up.

"I hate you. You make a reasonable plan seem rash." I told him.

"Glad I know how to make a point." He told me. He gave me a hug.

"I'm scared." I told him.

"I know. I am too." He told me. When we parted I wiped away a stray tear. "So we go to Wolford for a few weeks. Until we change. They say they have people to help us." He told me.

"Great. A specialist." I told him.

"Come on. It could be fun. We could mess with them." He told me. I smiled a little bit.

"That's my sister. Now lets get back before I make enemies too. I can't be seen with you." He told me.

"Oh please. I can't be seen with you." I told him. We smiled and walked to the front of the cafeteria. We walked back to the center where people were gathering. Lucas was in the center, with a list. Kayla wasn't far off and I decided that they were mates. It wasn't hard to decipher who was mated with who. I stood by the back with Jake.

_So boring. Telling us what to do. _Jake said smiling at the front.

_I can't believe they take pride in this. Look at Brittany. She's pissed at me. Oh, and the Conner dude. Fight me. _I shook my head at them.

_Haha. You think he's gonna beat me up?_

_Yeah. Sucks to be my brother._

_Lucky for you to be my sister. Let's go. This a waste of time._

_Yeah, and then they tell us we win a million dollars. _I grinned. We moved in sync, turning around and walking away.

"And lastly. Connor and I will be taking a tour with our new members. Jake and Kelly. They come from southern California. Let's welcome them." He said. We turned around and smiled.

_So much for escaping. _I told him.

_Eh, so we get praised. They have it so easy._

_Just makes us stronger. We'll get through it._

_I hope so._ He gave me a sad look and I couldn't give him anything back. There was no recorded shifter making it through this kind of shift.

"We won't be far from each other." I told him. The crowd went onto some other news. We left everyone and went to do our own thing.

Jake went back to his cabin, and I went to my cabin and took out my oreo's. I ate a few then put it back. I went into the bathroom and took a hot shower. I got into pajamas and decided to go to sleep early. I closed my eyes, ready for the nightmares that were constant.


	3. Every time you camp, you need a story

The next morning I woke up to someone calling my name. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. "Hey, Lucas wants to get going. You better get dressed." Kayla told me. I got up and put on leggings, then my shorts. I put on a t-shirt and a pair of sneakers. I grabbed my backpack and went outside.

"What an outfit." Jake told me.

"I hate bugs." I told him. I wasn't a morning person. I noticed Lucas and the guy named Connor.

"Morning. You guys ready to get going. We're going to hike. It's going to take a couple of days." Lucas said.

"Yay." I said starting off.

"Don't mind her, she's not a morning person." Jake said. "Or an afternoon person." I took the lead, not knowing where I was going, but getting a vague idea.

_Talk about awkward. These guys have no social skills._ I told Jake. He grinned.

_Tell me about it. I room with them. They're so masculine. Testosterone overload. _I burst out laughing.

"What's funny?" Connor asked.

"Nothing, I'm just now getting a joke. The chicken crossed the road cause he wanted to get to the other side." I told him smacking my forehead.

_Nice save._

_I try._ We went on in silence. The day went on and we kept hiking.

"Watch out this part gets difficult. I'll go first." Lucas said.

"I've got it." I told him. I jumped over a puddle of mud and avoided the huge branch without scratching myself. "I took ballet. I know how to handle myself." I told them. I started humming to myself as I continued in front of them.

"At least we're sure you're a shifter." Lucas mumbled.

"Wishing I wasn't." I replied.

"Don't." Jake told me.

"What? Just simply saying." I told him.

"Why? You upset Brittany last night. Why would you go on about that. It's who you are." Connor said.

"Not everyone loves who they are. And it's easy for you to say. You have nothing to worry about." I told him.

"It's a scary change. Especially for a girl without a mate." He put in.

"I don't care if I do or don't have a mate. Either way I die. Why would I love something that'll kill me." I told him nonchalantly.

"If you have a mate you're not going to die." Lucas told me.

"She might. We both might." Jake said. "Ninety nine percent chance."

"What are you talking about. You're obviously not weak. She's obviously not... anyways, you guys are going to be fine." Lucas told us. Jake and I looked at each other.

"Did you guys grow up here?" I asked them.

"Yeah why?" Connor asked.

"You're closed minded. You haven't experienced the world." Jake told them.

"We've experienced the world. You haven't even shifted. You can't talk about experiences." Connor said.

"We know more than you would expect. You wouldn't want to challenge me if I do change." Jake told him.

"Yeah, we'll see about that." Connor said. For the rest of the day, Jake and I talked in our heads smiling at our light jokes. Once it got dark we set up camp. The guys decided to share a tent and I got my own. I went out to get wood for fire. I came back with twigs.

"That's not going to make a big fire." Lucas said. "Connor go out and get some branches." He ordered. Connor disappeared. I shrugged and placed the twigs down. I took out my lighter and lit them up. It caused a small fire. I stared at the fire and took in a breath. The fire got smaller. I let out a huge breath and the fire grew big. It was big enough to warm five people.

"Big enough?" I asked Lucas when he came back. He gave a shocked look.

"Yeah." He said. I smiled and went back to Jake. I ran my thumb over my lighter.

"I made it huge!" I told him.

"Good for you. Now you just have to get some more practice. I've been practicing with ice. I froze my water bottle. Can you melt it? I'm thirsty." He asked. I smiled at him. I flicked the fire from my lighter and wrapped the bottle with flames that wouldn't touch it. The ice melted and then the fire went out.

"Come on. We've got to eat." I told him. We went to where Connor and Lucas were talking.

"Nice fire." Connor told me, placing the sticks in it. It got bigger and I widened my eyes.

"Stop putting wood in it." I told him.

"Why? We don't want it to go out." He told me.

"Just stop!" I told him. The more he put in the fire the bigger it would get. He placed the wood on the ground and I thanked him. Lucas made soup and we all ate it in silence.

"So, any ghost stories?"I asked.

"I've got one." Jake said. I laughed already. "Alright, so there was this girl walking and she..." he yawned. "I'm going to bed. Night." He said and left.

"Night!" I called after him.

"You guys close?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah. We're twins." I told him.

"Could have fooled me." Conner told me.

_Tell Connor a monkey in a wig could fool him for a teacher._ Jake told me to tell him. I laughed.

"What? Why do you keep laughing?" Connor asked.

"Jake wants you to know that a monkey in a wig acting like a teacher could fool you." I told him, smiling.

"What? Tell Jake...wait, how did you know what Jake wanted to tell me." He asked.

"We can read each other's mind." I told him.

"Really? I thought only people who are bonded can do that, and that's barely in human form." He told me.

"We're twins. We're close. It's part of an ancient myth." I told him.

"What ancient myth." Lucas asked.

"They didn't tell you guys anything." I told them smiling.

"No. Enlighten us." Lucas said sitting next to me.

"Well. Jake and I are part of a ancient myth. It goes back to the beginning of our nature's time. Every fifty to sixty years, two babies are born. One destined to have power over water, the other, power over fire. These babies are supposed to be Shifters. They're mothers never survive because, well, they don't know why. When they do find the children ones a boy and ones a girl. They don't have to be related, but they are sometimes. Anyway, these children never make it through their transformation." I told them.

"Why don't they make it?" Lucas asked.

"Because. Their power over takes them. It's strong and they can't control it. Their powers on top of their shifting. It's unbearable. That's why we have an almost certain death." I told them.

"But then, your going first because he has to be eighteen. "Connor said. I shook my head.

"We shift at seventeen in a half. It's in the middle of the two." I told them.

"So that's why you hate being a shifter. Death at seventeen is a given." Lucas said.

"Yes. Being a shifter is cool. But being part of this. It's horrible. I have to try to control the powers I have now. To think they get worse is horrible. They have no idea what to expect because the others never told what it's like because they never survived. But they do know it overwhelms them." I told them.

"Well, I'm tired. I'm going to bed." I said. I went to my tent and laid there for a while, until sleep overtook me.

I woke up early the next morning. I packed up my stuff and put away my tent. I saw Lucas, Connor, and Jake talking and putting away their stuff. I notice the fire was out. I saw an ember and pinched my fingers together. It went out.

"Ready?" I asked them.

"Yeah, hold on." Jake said as they finished packing. We started off, with Lucas in the front this time. I enjoyed being in the back. I plugged in my headphones and followed what they did.

Finally, at around ten in the night, we came to a big building with a wrought iron gate. Lucas swiped a card and we entered. He brought us up the steps.

"You guys go through there to meet with the elders. We're going to our rooms." He said.

"Kay. Thanks." Jake told them.

"Yeah. Thanks." I told them. They were nice people.

"Hey Kelly." Connor said to me, "I'm sorry about how I acted. I didn't know about your shifting." He told me.

"It's fine. And, I only come off as a bitch because I don't like getting close to people." I told him. I smiled at them. "See you guys later." I followed Jake into the room. Closing the door behind me I saw their backs walking away.

"Kelly and Jake Parker. It's nice to have you here at Wolford." An Elder said. "I'm Elder Wilde." He said.

"Hey! You're Lucas's grandfather!" I said, seeing the resemblance.

"Yes I am." He said. I smiled as I sat next to Jake. "We've been doing research in our ancient books, and have decided to train you. Your powers will overwhelm you, and you need to tame them." He told us.

"We won't start tonight. It's late. But tomorrow at eleven. Meet us out back." He said. We stood back up.

"Yes sir." Jake said.

"Yep.. I mean yes." I said, once I got a look from Jake.

"Goodnight. Frank will show you to your rooms." He said. A young kid brought us to different rooms. I put my stuff down and looked around. I went over and looked out my window. It was dark, but I could see wolves prowling around, on guard. I moved away and crawled into bed, tired and worn out.


	4. Chapter 4 a little snack, a little crush

**Hey, I don't own the Dark Guardian series. I thought I should put that out there. I hope you guys like the next few chapters, and please review! It makes me so happy and when I'm happy I write, so review, review, review! =)**

The next morning, I woke up at nine thirty. I showered and put on a pair of yoga pants and a 'I bite' t-shirt. I slipped on my converses and went downstairs to breakfast. I grabbed a big bowl of cinnamon toast crunch and sat at a table. I looked around at the room. There weren't that many shifters here now, but come the middle of summer, it would be packed. I dipped my spoon in my bowl.

Looking around I saw someone walk into the cafeteria. His back was turned away from me but his strong chest was evident. Wishing he would turn around, he did, looking directly at me. My heart sped up, and I blushed. He smiled a dazzling white smile at me. It went along with his shaggy dark chocolate hair and smoldering light brown eyes. I looked away, embarrassed. I hoped he'd leave the cafeteria, but I wanted him to talk to me.

When I looked back up, I saw his back leaving. My heart sunk, but I felt relieved. The last thing I needed was to crush on some guy. I finished my breakfast and went out to the back. I sat on the steps and put on my ipod.

Soon, Elder Wilde and another elder came out. "Where is your brother?" He asked me.

"Um. I'm not sure. Let me get him." I told him.

_Where are you? _I asked him in my head.

_Five more minutes._

_No get up! The elders are waiting, you stupid head._

_Aw crap!_ I smiled as I saw the thoughts rushing back to him.

"He'll be down in a minute or two." I told them.

"Interesting. You two can communicate telepathically?" He asked.

"Ever since we were little." I told him. He nodded taking it into thought.

"This is Elder Thomas. He'll be helping us." He said.

"Hello." I smiled. Jake came out the door. _Elder Thomas._ I put in for him.

"I'm so sorry Elder Wilde and Elder Thomas. I overslept." He said.

"It's quiet all right. Now. Let's get started." He said walking over to the field. I put away my ipod and followed them to were a bucket of water and a trash can was waiting.

"Elder Thomas will help you with your water, and I'll help you with fire." He said. We both nodded and went to separate ends of the field.

"I hope you've been taking a look at the eligible shifters around here." He told me.

"Are you trying to get me hooked up?" I asked him.

"We do nothing like that. We simply help." He said.

"Yeah, well, don't worry about me." I told him. He threw gasoline in the trash can.

"Would you?" he asked. I took out my lighter and lit it on fire. The can ignited inside.

"Where do we start?" I asked him.

"Let's do what we're learned not to. Play with fire. Put your arm in and take some out." He said. I did what he asked and a fire ball came out. "Now, your other hand." He said. I did the same thing.

"Walk over there and in that empty trash can I want a bigger fire." He told me. I walked over and put the fire in the trash can and watched it grow a little. I sucked in my breath, and when I blew it got bigger by a little.

"Grow like the fire you came from. Bigger than that." I whispered. The fire responded to my words and flew up. The flames where huge and lapping everywhere.

"Great! Now tame it. Tame it till it's two balls again." He said. The lesson went on with controlling the flames. By twelve thirty I was pooped. We stopped and I got rid of the fires. I sprawled out on the grass.

"Kelly. I'd like you to meet someone." Elder Thomas said. I turned my head to see a guy with shoulder length blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"This is Sean." He said, "he's wants to show you around." He said. I looked back over at Jake who was doubled over, laughing.

"Yeah. Sure. One moment." I said sitting up. I stood up and brushed off my butt. "Hi Sean." I said.

"Hey. Ready to go?" He asked.

"Sure." I told him. We walked over to a dirt path.

"So, where are you from?" He asked.

"California. You?" I asked.

"I'm from here." he looked around and smiled. I put on a smile. He talked for a while about Wolford.

"Listen. I'm sorry. I know the elders are trying to find me a mate. I don't need a pity date." I told him.

"Sorry about this, but I have to. Trust me, they don't know it but I don't like you. I feel like my mate is somewhere else." He said.

"Then don't pretend to like me. Save us both." I looked around and dramatically put my hands on my hip. "Ahh, I have a cramp. I have to go." I faked. He grinned.

"Do you need help?" He asked loudly.

"No. I'm just going to lay down. Thanks for a wonderful date." I told him and limped off to my room.

Inside I went into the lounge room. I found people reading books and talking. I sat by the piano and played with the keys.

"Keep practicing. I'll see you tomorrow." I heard a guy say out in the hallway. The guy from this morning walked into the room and greeted people. I turned my attention back to the piano, my heart racing. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him talking to people. I couldn't stand the anticipation of him coming over and talking to me, so I stood up and closed the piano. I pushed the bench under and made my way out the living room. As I rounded the corner I saw him watching my exit. I was excited, and scared.

I went to my room and took a long nap. When I woke up I had missed the designated lunch time. I went outside and found Jake. "Hey." I said to him.

"Hey yourself. Where have you been? How was your date?" He asked me, grinning.

"I was taking a nap, and we ended the date because we both didn't want to be there. I can't believe they would set me up on a date. I don't need a man." I told him.

"In their eyes, you do. Just find a filler." He told me. "If they don't find you a guy, I will. I'm not going to have my sister be unaccompanied on her first shift."

"Ugh, you guys and your sexist ways." I said. "Well, I'm going to go bother the cook to give me food. You coming?" I asked him.

"Unlike some people, I ate at lunch time. I'm gonna go take a hike. I'll catch up with you at dinner." He told me. I gave him a salute, and turned around. I walked through the back door. In the kitchen, I didn't see anyone. I opened the fridge and looked around.

"What are you doing?" I heard. I turned around and saw the chef.

"Um, I was looking for a snack. I missed lunch." I told him.

"That's too bad, you wait like everyone else." He told me.

"But I'm a growing girl!" I complained, trying to use the sexist ways to my use.

"Then you double up at dinner." He said, hands on hip.

"Henry, let the girl get something to eat. She looks like she's been starved." The handsome guy from this morning said, walking into the kitchen.

"You make sure she doesn't touch anything in my fridge." He said, shooting me an evil glance. I quickly took my hand away from the fridge and let the door slam close.

"Will do. Elder Wilde would like to go over your menu." He told him.

"Remember. I'm watching." He said before leaving. I smiled at the guy.

"Thanks. I would have died." I told him, going over to a cabinet.

"No problem. I like to snack too, which is why I have my own stash. You won't find anything in there." He told me.

"Then where do I look?" I asked him. He stepped forward and reached above my head. He smelled like dew on morning grass, a fresh day. He brought his arm down and presented me with crackers.

"Closest thing to a cookie." He told me. I smiled.

"Thank you." I said tipping the bag.

"I'm Matt." He said offering his hand. I

"Kelly." I leaned on the counter, and set the package down. "So you from around here?" I asked him. He took a cracker himself, and crossed his arms.

"I actually was just stationed here. I'm originally from Washington the state." He told me.

"West coast represent!" I told him and he smiled.

"We're from two very different parts of the west coast." He told me.

"And how do you know where I'm from?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"They warned us about you and your brother. You're from southern California. I know to be careful around you." He grinned.

"Well, I should be careful around you. You're the man with the key to the food." I told him and took a few more crackers. "Thanks for the snack." I said before leaving the kitchen in a flutter.

"You, flirting?" Jake asked me at dinner.

"Yeah, well at least I think you could call it that. He's..." I looked at him for help.

"Going to be your mate!" Jake put in.

"That is just like you to jump to conclusions, and no. He's just a little crush. Plus, I bet he has a mate." I told him.

"Do you see her?" He asked.

"He's from Washington, I bet she's there or something. Anyway, it was nothing." I told him.

"Yeah. Sure. So who do you think the elders will hook you up with next?" He asked. I stuck my tongue out at him and he smiled. It was going to be a long three weeks.


	5. a little trip, a little fall

For the next few weeks, we did training, getting longer everyday, and more difficult. For guys who were supposed to be old, they sure did have a lot of energy. Every few days, after lessons, a guy would magically appear and Elder Wilde would have something for us both to do.

Our lesson before the weekend ended at three. I went over to Jake. "Good news, there can't be any more guys here." I told him.

"Think again. Remember Matt?" He said pointing to Elder Wilde who was calling me over with his finger. I moaned.

"This is not part of the curriculum." I told him.

"Hey, laughing is a work out, so I've been getting in shape." He told me, grinning. I hit him and went over to the Elder.

"Kelly. This is Matt, I believe you two have met?" He asked. I nodded. "Great! So you won't have a problem going with Matt to check on some of our shelters that have been used recently. We'll give you guys a ride, but you might have to spend the night in one." He told me.

"I don't have a problem. Kelly?" Matt asked, smiling.

"No problem at all. Let me shower and pack my bag." I told him.

"Great! I'll see you when you get back, and it's back to business. You're full moon is coming." He told me, walking away.

"I'll be out front when you're ready." Matt said, resisting a smile.

"This isn't funny." I said walking to my room. I took a long hot shower because it'd be my last one for a few days. I put on a pair of shorts, sneakers and a long sleeved shirt. I sprayed bug spray and packed a few things. I went downstairs to see Matt leaning against an ATV, connected to it was a wagon filled with bars and clothing.

"I thought this was an overnight thing." I joked.

"If we're lucky." He replied. "Hop on." He got on the front. I awkwardly got on the back.

"I don't like these things." I told him.

"Then hold on tight." I put my arms around his waist. He was firm and smooth except for six pack. He revved the engine then took off.

"Don't go fast!" I yelled. He laughed and slowed down a bit. I closed my eyes, and felt the wind whipping at my face. I buried my face into the crook of his should and neck, smelling his wonderful scent. No, just blocking my face.

After about an hour of driving, we got to the first place. I got off first and felt a little dizzy. "That was fun." Matt said, walking past me.

"Not really. Now where is this den place?" I asked, following.

"It's right over here. Just check to make sure there's enough things in here to keep at least five people satisfied." He said. We found the hiding place and checked the bins. We put in some extra blankets with food and water. I redid the lights as he scouted out the area.

"Alright, ready to go to the next one?" He asked.

"Yeah, hold on. I'm not ready to face that thing yet." I nodded over to the machine, waiting for us to get on and threaten to tip over. He sat down next to me on a rock. I looked up, and sighed.

"This is not what I wanted." I told him.

"Well, I mean, a car would be hard to get in here." He said. I smiled as I shook my head.

"No, not this." I pointed to the ATV. "Shifting, mating. Everything." I told him, cupping my hands and putting my face in it.

"What do you want then?" He asked nicely.

"What every normal shifter girl would want." I stood up, and walked a little. "When I'm sixteen, I'd find my mate. He'd go through the transformation with me and we'd live happily ever after, or something close to it, in wolf happiness. But no, not me. I'm stuck with being set up by old men, for a transformation that I won't survive." I told him. He came over to me.

"No girl ever gets that. Mating is a weird thing. The elders aren't trying to hook you up, they're trying to find your mate. The right one. If they were trying to hook you up they'd have stuck one boy on you and made you two go through it. And as for going through the transformation..." He was quiet.

"You're a strong woman, and any guy you chose has got to be strong, so you'll make it. I have a feeling you don't like to follow the books." He told me, smirking.

"Thanks..." I said, sheepishly.

"No problem, but we need to get back on the ATV. So let's go." I got on behind him and he started off again.

After the third den, it was getting dark. We set up camp at the third one, planning on doing the fourth and fifth tomorrow. Inside the cozy cave, I watched as it started to rain.

"Well, I'd say this place isn't one of the bigger ones, but if we sleep together we'll have enough room." He told me. "I mean, I could sleep outside, but I'd prefer not to." He said, looking at the rain.

"No, it's fine. Let's make a bed." I told him. We laid out our sleeping bags and laid down. I shivered, and tried rubbing my legs together to generate heat.

"I'm not trying to lay moves on you, but body heat would help." He told me. I smiled and scooted closer to him.

"I don't bite in human form." He grinned.

"You're gonna make me sleep outside." I told him, pressing myself up against him. "Why are you so warm?" I asked.

"I don't know, warm heart." He joked. He wrapped his arms around me, and I hated to admit it but, it felt amazing. I felt safe and protected. I yawned and closed my eyes, falling asleep in the arms of a guy who made my heart stutter.

I woke up early the next morning. I was snuggled deep in the curve of Matt. It was comforting and I didn't want to get up. I looked at him as he slept. He looked peaceful and gorgeous. His hair flopped over one eye. I could only imagine him as a wolf.

"Morning." He whispered, and I shivered a little.

"Morning." I said to him. I looked into his eyes, and gazed into mine. My heart hammered and my breath quickened. His gaze shifted to my lips and I wanted him to kiss me.

"I think we should get going." He told me. I nodded and got up, as my stomach dropped. We finished the den and packed our stuff. We got on the ATV and went over to the fourth den.

Inside was a mess. We fixed up the place, and put the bins back. "Can you go back out and get some more provisions?" he asked.

"Sure." I exited the den and walked the little ways to the ATV. I found the food and water and grabbed them, and some stuff for the lighting when I heard a soft thud. I turned around to see a cougar. My heart stopped.

"Nice kitty." I said, wide eyed. I tried moving my hand, but it hissed. I took a step to the side, and it began to crouch. I moved quickly now as it leaped into the air. A dark brown wolf caught it mid air and crash it down. Matt.

I saw the two squaring off, and ripping at each other. I took out my lighter and, after a few panicked clicks, a flame came on. I grabbed it and it instantly became huge in my hand. I ran forward and made sure the cougar could see the flame. It retreated off of Matt. I flicked little flames at the animal before it scampered away. I put the fire out and ran over to Matt. He stood up, and I watched as his scares started to heal.

"You saved my life. Thank you." I told him. His brown eyes looked into mine and he made a soft grunt. I hugged him lightly. He nudged me a little and I turned my back as he went away and transformed.

"You can look now." He told me. He had healed and looked as if nothing had happened. This time I hugged him for real.

"Thank you." I told him, as he put his arms around me.

"Those cougars are rough. Nice move with the fire." He complemented.

"Thanks. I was going for my lighter, but as I moved it attacked. Sorry about that." I looked at the stuff I'd dropped and went to pick them up. Matt helped.

"So you can't just make fire appear on your own?" He asked.

"Not yet. I'm not that good, but I'm getting there." I told him as we walked back to the den with the things. We sat down and rested.

"So if we leave now, we can get to the last den in a couple of hours. It looks like it's going to rain, so we'll spend a few hours there." he told me, looking at the sky.

"Sounds like a plan to me." I stood up and stretched. He got up and made sure everything was in place.

"Alright let's go." The drive was shorter because of our lighten load. We stopped to fill up the gas tank with some gas Matt had brought along. By eleven we were at our fifth and final den. We stepped inside to smell a foul smell.

"Ugh. Something died in here." I said covering my nose.

"Yeah. Over here." I moved over to where he was standing. A dead rabbit was sprawled out. I almost threw up.

"What do we do?" I asked, looking around.

"Well, we don't have a shovel. So I'm guessing we should use a blanket and throw it out, then wash out this corner." He looked at me and smiled. "Or, you could burn it to ash." I gave him a nod.

"That seems more reasonable. I'm not touching that thing." I took out my lighter. I ignited the dead creature and burned it to ash. The smell was horrid, but not as bad.

"I'll go find some leaves and nice smelling things to burn to cover up the smell." Matt said, leaving me with the mess. I did my rounds and fixed the lighting and stocked up the place. I took some paper towels and gathered the ash. I placed it outside and grabbed a water bottle and washed the little spot. I stood up and backed into a body. I jumped.

"You scared the crap out of me!" I said hitting Matt lightly, as he grinned at me.

"Sorry. Here, place these on the spot and light it." He told me. I did as told and we went outside, where it smelled a million times better.

"So, should we leave now and run into the rain, or wait it out?" I asked him.

"I think we could leave now. We could make it back." He said. I nodded as I watched him go back in and put out the fire.

Back on the ATV, Matt drove us back to Wolford. The last ten minutes of our ride were filled with a mist and light rain. We got off the ATV and hurried in. I laughed as he closed the door behind us.

"So this was an interesting two days." I told him.

"Yes it was." He said standing close to me.

"Thanks." I told him, caught up in his eyes. The eyes that were watching my lips. Before I knew it, we were kissing. It wasn't some goodnight kiss after prom. This was the kiss you wished every kiss was. The fourth of July couldn't even compare. I lost my breath and pulled back, gasping for air.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. I shook my head and pulled him back to me. His hands ran through my hair, and my arms went around his neck. The world around us had disappeared and it was only him and me.

"I'm taking you two had a successful trip." I heard a voice. We broke apart to see Elder Wilde smiling. We stepped back away from each other and blushed.

"Yes. We fixed the dens and they're ready for use." Matt said. "It's late, I think I'm going to go to bed." I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm pretty worn out. It was nice helping you, and thanks again for this weekend." I told him, turning on my heels and booking it to my room. My head was racing from the amazing kiss that had just taken place.

_Look at my sister, growing up._ I heard Jake say in my head.

_Shut up. I can't fall for him._

_Too late, I think you have. Don't fight it, there's nothing wrong with falling in love. It's part of life._

_It is wrong. When I hurt him. When I die and he's left alone with no girl for the rest of the night. He can't love me._

_I don't think you have a choice. It's something that happens. I think he knows what he's getting himself into. _

_I have to tell him. Tomorrow._

_Do what you have to, but it's not going to change anything._ And with that, Jake left. I took a hot shower and changed into pajamas. I laid in my bed, and then fell asleep, scared of the future.


	6. hello, goodbye

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, with me starting high school, and sheer laziness, I haven't done much lately. But I've finished the story, so I plan to have it finished in a few days. Thank you for reviewing! It means so much to me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

The next morning at breakfast I sat at my table with a cup of orange juice. If I ate anything, in a matter of minutes it would be right back on the table. I fiddled with my hands until I saw Matt come in. He found me immediately and a grin came across his gorgeous face. I guess I must have looked scared because he immediately came over to me.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sitting next to me. I shook my head and looked at my hands.

"I–I'm" I didn't know how to put it. I looked at him and sucked in a breath. "I don't like you Matt. That kiss yesterday was a mistake, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on or anything." I told him.

"Kelly. I know you're scared about your shifting, but I'm not." He told me, reaching for my hand. I pulled it back.

"I don't like you. I just got caught up in the moment. I've got practice." I told him, standing up.

"Kelly, you might give up, but I won't." He told me, standing. I turned away and walked out to the back. I wiped away at my watery eyes. Jake was outside, waiting for me.

"You didn't have to do that." He said.

"It's easier for everyone." I told him, "you ready for practice?" I smiled in pain and joined Elder Wilde.

"Where's your lighter?" He asked me. I took it out and gave it to him.

"Now. Let's make fire." He told me. "No shifter with fire capability has ever been able to make fire on their own." He told me. I lamely tried to switch it on.

"Clear your mind." He told me. I closed my eyes and instantly saw the cougar from the other day. I pushed the thought aside and found darkness. Beyond it, I saw a little speck of red orange. I zeroed in on the light and saw it as a spark. I opened my eyes as something jolted through me. Fire was in my hands and spreading up my arms. I smiled at it, as it grew.

"I did it!" I exclaimed, excited at my new achievement. Elder Wilde was happy too.

"Congratulations." He said sincerely. I smiled, but it dropped as I saw Matt taking post down the field. My heart jumped into my throat, and I couldn't breathe. I turned around and composed myself.

"Let's continue." Elder Wilde said softly. I nodded as I gathered myself together.

After practice the Elders brought us to their meeting room. "So we've decided to keep you two both close during your transformation. Across a lake at the water fall." He told us. We both nodded.

"As for your mate. I suppose in the end it's your choice. It would be a shame though if you didn't make the transformation because you went through it alone." He told me. "You two have come a long way. We feel confident in you two. I wanted to remind you two that we're not doing this just to study this ancient myth, but you two are amazing people, and this world can't lose any more decent people." He told us.

"Thank you." We both said at the same time. I went up to Elder Wilde.

"Would it be fair to mate with someone when I could die? Would I be a decent person knowing I was bringing someone into eternal loneliness?" I asked him.

"Would it be fair to cheat someone out of their real mate? There are risks everyday that a person may lose their mate. It's the time they spend with them that makes it worth living. It's the memories." He told me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"But,"

"But maybe you're the one who's scared." I looked at him and nodded.

"Maybe. I've got to go." I told him, going to my room and to think about this whole thing.

At dinner, I was nervous to go. It was only two days until my transformation, and everything was nerve wracking. I got to dinner late and sat next to Jake.

"Have you seen Matt?" I asked him. He shook his bed.

"I think he had to go to town for something. But I'm sure he'll be here tomorrow." He told me and I sighed.

"This is just great. When I don't want to talk to him he's here, but when I do want to talk to him, he's gone." I put my head on the table. "How was your day?" I asked him.

"Great. Do you know the girl Holly?" He asked me. I lifted my head and smiled at him.

"No, but I can get to know her!" I told him.

"Yeah, thanks. But I'm not sure what I'm feeling, but it's like whenever she's near me, my wolf instincts just want to take over, which they can't cause I haven't turned yet." He told me.

"Aw! My brother has found a mate!" I told him. He grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah, so don't mess it up. We talked for a while and she's amazing." He told me.

"I'll go figure out what I can." I told him standing up.

"Not you!" He told me. I rolled my eyes and got myself a cheeseburger.

_Which one is Holly? _I asked him, looking around.

_The one in the corner next to the red head. She has the long hazel hair, and bright green eyes._

_Gotcha. Talk to you in a few._ I walked over to their table. "Can I sit here?" I asked, being nice.

"Sure." Holly said, smiling at me.

"Thanks. Holly right? I'm Kelly." I offered my hand.

"Nice to meet you Kelly, this is Becca." She pointed to the frizzy orange headed girl.

"Hi." I said as she waved. "So what were you talking about?" I asked them.

"Nothing, just how summer solstice is coming up." She said.

"I'm so excited!" I told them knowing that I probably wouldn't make it to summer solstice. "So how old are you guys?" I asked.

"We're both going to be seventeen in two weeks." She said.

"Oh cool. Excited about transforming?" I asked.

"Yeah. The whole experience gets my body tingling. What's it like? "She asked me.

"I don't know yet. I'm going through mine in a couple of days. So is my brother." I told her.

"Who's your brother?" Becca finally said something.

"Jake. He's sitting over there." I nodded my head in his direction. Holly giggled a little and blushed. "What's funny?" I asked her, getting a feeling.

"No, nothing. You're brother's nice. He helped me out this afternoon, and he was a great guy." She said blushing more ferociously.

"You like him." I said in a sing song voice.

"What?... no." She said quietly.

"Yes you do. It's alright." I told her.

"Well, I mean, I get this feeling around him." She blushed.

"He's a great guy. Trust me, I've known him for seventeen years." I smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Hey Holly." I turned around to see a light black haired guy with silver eyes, smiling at her.

"Hey Tyler. Kelly this is Tyler, Tyler this is Kelly." She introduced us. We shook hands.

"So I was wondering if I could sit here." He asked, a little nervous.

"Yeah, sure." She said smiling nicely. I turned back to see Jake making fists.

"Here, take my seat. I've got some things to do anyway. I'll talk to you later Holly, and remember what I said to you. Great person." I took my tray and threw out my uneaten food.

The next day we practice all day long. I had no free time to find Matt, or talk to Holly about Jake. I realized my stamina was better because by four I was still going strong. By six o'clock they let us go. Jake wiped his face from the water that was splashed around.

"So you know you've got some competition." I told him.

"Yeah. The guy is eighteen and he just turned like a month ago. I mean at least she has someone if I don't make it, but now I'm determined more than ever." He told me.

"That's the spirit. Give me a shout out if you see Matt." I told him. He nodded as he went off to change. I went up to Matt's room and knocked lightly. The door opened slightly, and I saw him in his bathroom. He was taking a bandage off his left shoulder. They were Celtic symbols. Maybe he'd found another girl, maybe it was someone from before. I knocked again, louder. Matt turned and saw me.

"Come on in." He called out. I stepped in and it smelled just like him. I wanted to envelope myself in his scent and never let go. He came out with his shirt in his hand. "Hey." He said.

"Hi." I closed the door a little bit behind me. "I wanted to apologize about yesterday. It was a bad way to handle things." I told him. He stepped towards me.

"Don't apologize for anything. I understand if you weren't ready." He told me. I shook my head and sat on his bed.

"That's not it. I... I have strong feelings for you Matt. I–I love you, and the thing is, I might die tomorrow." I told him, tears strolling down my face. He kneeled in front of me.

"I know the risks, but I don't care. I want to be there for you, help you. I love you." He told me.

"The Celtic name. Is it mine?" I asked him. He turned around and I saw the angelic writing.

"Yeah, I just got it done today. Kelly, will you be my mate?" He asked, turning back around to face me. Tears where still streaming down my face as I nodded.

"Yes. Yes I would love to." I told him. I stood up and hugged him. I squeezed him close, not ever wanting to let go. I separated us a little, then placed my lips on his. This kiss was breathtaking, and amazing.

"We should get to dinner." I told him and he smiled.

"Only you would think of food. But yeah, I'm pretty hungry." He told me, smiling. We went down to the dining hall and grabbed our dinners. Holding hands, we walked to Jake's table and sat next to him.

"How's Holly?" I asked him.

"Amazing as always. It's that guy that's irritating me." he told me, catching me and Matt. "Whoa. What's this?" He asked, putting down a fry.

"We are officially mates." Matt said, smiling.

"Congratulations." He told us.

"Thanks. Now all we have to do is find a ring and a dress and we're ready to go." I told him.

"What about my suit?" He asked.

"Easy, a birthday suit." I told him, and we laughed.

"Ugh, you two make me sick. Anyway, I'm going to ask her out. I've got to teach this guy a lesson." Jake said, focusing on them. I shook my head as I watched as Tyler's drink splashed up into his face. We all laughed a little.

"That's not nice." I told him, hitting him on the arm.

"Sorry. I'll go apologize." He told me grinning. He got up and went over with some napkins.

"Unfortunately, that's my brother." I told him.

"Unfortunately? You two are so similar it's scary. I bet you would have done the same thing." He told me, "but since you're fire, you probably would have burned off every hair on my head, eyelashes included." I laughed.

"Aw, you know me so well." I told him, and ate a fry. We watched as Tyler's expression changed as words came out of Jake's mouth.

"I would feel bad if I didn't know for sure that Holly is the one for him." I told Matt.

"It happens. I'm just happy I don't have competition. You're all mine." He kissed my cheek.

_So do you have the date?_ I asked Jake in my head.

_Yes I do. Poor Tyler, he seemed pissed that he didn't get to her first, but I think she's happy about it._

_What are you guys going to do?_

_I told her I'd take her for a hike. But it'd be the time of her life cause a picnic in a secluded area would be included._

_Nice, that's my brother. Smooth talking his way into a girls heart._

_I learned from the best._ He came back over to us and we talked for the rest of the meal as if tomorrow night wasn't the last time we would do this.

The next day, Jake convinced the elders to let him go. He'd work hard when he got back, but he wanted to spend time with Holly. The elders went with me to the water fall place. It was beautiful, and peaceful. Matt would be joining us later, but this time I needed to practice.


	7. changing him, changing me

I practiced and controlled fire for a couple of hours before Elder Wilde stopped me. "There's only but so much you can do before you know you're ready. I hope the best for you. I believe you and your brother will make it. You have such powerful souls and energy." We hugged and I realized that I would miss him and Elder Thomas. They're lessons weren't just lessons, they were fun times.

"Thank you both for the things you've taught me. I'm going to miss you guys." I told them.

Before I saw him, I felt Matt nearby. I turned around to see the beautiful chocolate wolf that had saved me. My wolf. My Matt. I looked to the elders and they were gone. I turned back to see Matt behind some bushes, transforming and putting on clothes. He came out and gave me a hug.

"Nervous?" He asked.

"Scared is more like it, but yeah, I'm that too." I told him. He led me to the den inside the waterfall.

"This is really cool." I told him as he laid out a blanket.

"Yeah, it's mostly everyone's favorite den." He told me smiling. "I thought we could take our minds off the transformation tonight and just relax." He told me.

"Alright, so what do you want to do?" I asked him.

"Well there's a big waterfall, falling into a big lake out there, or we could play poker." He told me, holding up a deck of cards. "I'm pretty great at the latter, but both are fun." He told me grinning.

"Swimming it is." I told him. When we got to the lake, I jumped in first, then he followed. We swam until our fingers started to prune. I crawled to shore and put on the big t-shirt Matt had brought us. I sprawled out on the shore and let the sun evaporate the water from my skin. Matt laid next to me and held my hand.

I gave him a squeeze, and turned to look at him. We didn't need words for this moment. It was right, it was perfect, and words would only ruin it. We both leaned in and kissed. We laid there for a while, embracing each other's company.

By that night, Jake had joined us. I hugged him as soon as he entered the den. "How was your date?" I asked him, sitting down.

"Great. We had an amazing time. She's so perfect, and I just know she's my mate." He told me.

"I know. So we've got two weeks to make sure she's yours." I told him. The talk about the future, silenced us both. Matt came out the back and took my hand.

"It's eleven, you might want to get ready." He told me. I nodded as my heart thudded. I went to the lake and washed my skin till I was squeaky clean and rinsed my hair.

When I went back into the den I brushed my hair, and put on the silk wrap. It was delicate and nice. I found Matt and sat next to him. "How old are you?" I asked him. He smiled at my question.

"I guess we haven't covered this. I'm twenty." He told me.

"Alright, I'm seventeen." I told him and he laughed.

"Yes. And if it helps, I go to Brown University." He told me.

"Really? I was looking at Princeton and Brown. Now you've made my decision much more easier." I told him.

"I'm glad." He kissed me, and it felt magical. "So, we should get to the clearing. You're brother already left." He told me, I nodded as I worried about him.

"Don't worry. He'll be okay. You need to focus on yourself." He told me. I nodded and let him hold me. "It'll be okay." he repeated until we both believed it.

We walked to a clearing, and I looked up at the full moon. It was mocking me, laughing at me. Telling me I wasn't going to make it. This was the last full moon I'd ever see. Matt was wearing a black silk wrap too. I smiled as he walked up to me. He put his hand to my cheek and wiped away tears. I hadn't realized I was crying.

"Just focus." He told me and I shook my head.

"I can't. I–I don't want to die." I let out.

"I won't let you." He told me, determination on his face. That gave me strength to try hard. Suddenly, my body began to tingle, and my heart started to beat erratically.

"Oh god it's starting." I told him. The tingling turned into poking.

"Kelly, do you take me as your mate?" Matt asked me.

"Yes." I said. He brought me to his lips and his kiss washed away the pain, but suddenly something else jumped out, and it scared me. I knew what it was. It was my fire. Suddenly it enveloped me and matt was pushed away. It was around me and in me.

"You can do this!" I heard Matt call out, trying to find me. I was still crying and the fire was taking over me. "Don't give up!" He yelled again. "Kelly, be strong!" Thinking about him and my brother, I tried to take control. The fire was like an untamed animal. I was trying to cage it but it was big and powerful.

"I control you!" I screamed at the fire as it lashed out. I started to feel it and it scared me, but I didn't give up. Matt kept yelling to me, to keep trying. Straining myself, I started to tame it. It was fighting me and I was fighting it. I pushed myself and the fire started to go down. I closed my fist and took in huge breaths.

"You don't control me." I kept repeating. It was being sucked into my pores and I fell over as the pain overtook me. Matt rain over to me and touched my cheek. He pulled away quick. I was hot like fire, the fire wouldn't kill me, but transforming alone would. He couldn't touch me, he couldn't help me.

"Don't give up." He told me, and kissed me. I could tell it was hurting him, but it swept away the pain, and before I knew it, we were nuzzling our noses together. I looked down to see my new paws.

_You did it. _Matt told me in my head. I looked at him and tried to smile. I howled a happy howl into the sky, then I thought of Jake.

_We have to go find him. _I told him, and started off in the direction of the lake but collapsed.

_You're tired. You can't go find him. We'll go back to the den so you can sleep and I'll go find him._ I slowly followed Matt to the den. My brother was strong, but was he strong enough to survive. I felt like dying when the fire started to take over. It was hard facing the fire but facing the wolf was unbearable. I saw the bed of blankets and collapsed on it.

_Think human._ Matt told me. I thought human and I was back to myself, naked. I got under the top blanket and laid my head down.

"Be safe." I told him sleepily before blackness took me.

I woke up a while later, groggy. The first thing that hit me was that I had survived, but the real question was wether Jake had made it. I sat up and found clothes folded. I put on the shirt and pants. I stretched my sore muscles and got up.

"Morning." Matt said. I turned around and hugged him.

"I'm so happy we're both okay. I know it was hard for you, and thank you for not giving up on me. I love you." I told him.

"Me not giving up? You were so brave and I'm happy you kept going. I love you too." He told me and kissed me.

"Where's Jake?" I asked him.

"He's still in the forest. He's moved. I tried finding him, but I couldn't catch his scent. Must have been the water. I came back here for you." He told me.

"Did you even sleep last night?" I asked him, worried for him and Jake.

"I got an hour or two. But I know you want to go searching for Jake." He told me.

"No. You go to sleep first. Thank you for all you've done." I told him, bringing him back to the bed. As he laid down, I called out to Jake in my head, but got nothing back. I was still sore and tired, so I took a nap with Matt, to regain our energy.

At twelve, we got up and went to find Jake. Matt showed me where Jake was supposed to be. I looked over at the lake. "If Jake is water, you think he's in the lake?" I asked. Matt went over and took off his shirt and pants and dived in. I went to the edge and jumped in after him. I searched around when Matt called me over in the water. There was a cave going into the den. We went in and went onto the rocks. We heard a whimper and went over to where a body was lying.

"Jake." I whispered. He was in wolf form and laying still. I put my hand on him, and he looked over to me. "Think human." I told him. The beautiful blue black wolf closed it's hurting grey eyes and suddenly my brother was there.

"Oh Jake. What can I do?" I asked him.

"I'm just sore." He told me weakly.

"What about food? He needs food right?" I asked Matt. He was gone. "Matt?" I asked standing up. Just as I was about to go up to the den, Matt came back with a blanket, food and water. He went over to Jake and placed the silk blanket over him, because of our sensitive skin. He handed him a granola bar.

"Thanks. "Jake took a bite and swallowed. "I'm glad to see your alive." He told me.

"I'm glad to see your alive. You had us worried. I'm so happy we both survived." I told him, holding his hand.

"Mom would be proud. This is what she would have wanted." He told me. Matt came over and laid out some sticks.

"Mind making a fire?" He asked, smiling. As easy as breathing, flames took to the sticks and made a warm fire. Jake pulled himself slowly up. He sighed as he rested his back on a stone.

The rest of the day we sat with Jake as he gathered his strength. Soon we realized it was night. I went up and got us some more granola bars and waters. We fell asleep, and I welcomed the rest.

The next morning I woke feeling better. I looked over to see Matt and Jake still sleeping. I stretched and yawned. I heard movement upstairs, my hearing better because of the transformation. I got up and snuck silently up until I could see. People were in and around the den. I caught the scents of wolves. They turned around just as I came out. I recognized Kayla and Lucas.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"The elders were worried...you made it." Lucas said.

"Yeah, we're just as shocked as you, but there's no reason for this. My brother is getting over his transformation. Would you mind going back." I told him.

"We're told to bring you back in case you are alive." He told me stepping forward. I shook my head.

"Just leave us alone for now. We'll be there by tomorrow night." I told him. I felt someone behind me, and I turned to see Jake and Matt. Jake looked like himself again and I felt like a weight had been lifted.

"We can go back. I'm feeling better." Jake told me.

"Great. We can go in wolf form." Lucas said. I gave him a death stare.

"Jake, can you handle it?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I took a dip in the water and it helped me a lot." He told me. "Oh and we put out the fire for you." He smiled and I smiled back.

"Alright, lets go." Lucas said and I wanted to hit him. I went behind the wall and shifted. When we all came back we were a bunch of wolves. I didn't have time to take in my wolf form, but it was wonderful. The wolf in me felt so powerful. We started out, and I felt my body feel the need to stretch out it's muscles. I stretched but that wasn't enough.

Once we got to the forest, we started running. I let my instincts take over and took off. Matt caught up to me. _Having fun? _He asked.

_Yes. This is amazing. I'm so happy._ I told him.

_It sure is something else._

_We should go back to Jake._

_I'm right here_. Jake put in, coming up next to me. _I guess shifting is like cramps, you need to move in order to get rid of the pain._

_What do you know about cramps?_

_More than you know. Race you?_

_You're on. Matt want to race?_

_Sure, but I'll probably end up letting you win. _He grinned in wolf form.

_One, two, three go!_ We took off running. Things were a blur as I let my animal instincts take over.


	8. An ending, a beginning

**Hey guys, so this is it. The last chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I'm so happy with it. Thanks for everyone who reviewed, you guys were the motivation to write this. =) I'm gonna try to start new stories, and I hope you guys will read them. I'm thinking about writing a little extra for this story, but I'm not sure. Thanks for all the support and keep on reading! =)**

When we got to Wolford, I felt rejuvenated and fresh. I went with the girls and changed back into my human form. I grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt from a pile of clothes. I found Matt and he put his arms around me.

"I'm sorry we haven't had any alone time." I told him.

"It's all right. We've got forever. I'm just happy you survived. I love you." He told me and kissed me long and passionately on the lips. I closed my eyes as we parted our lips.

"I'm really regretting not giving you alone time." I smiled, opening my eyes. He laughed. He took my hand and squeezed it. We walked up to the council room, where the elders were waiting. When we entered, Elder Wilde gave a relieved look. All of the elders looked that way.

"Jake. Kelly. We are so happy you survived." He said coming over and giving us both hugs. "We knew you would make it. We were so sure you were ready."

"Well we had the best trainers around. Thanks for everything." I told him and Elder Thomas.

"Yes. We couldn't have done it without you guys." Jake put in.

"Well we're just happy to see you alive and well. I hope you're thinking about joining the dark guardians. You know, Matt joined." Elder Wilde said, and I smiled.

"Yes, I will defiantly think about being a dark guardian. We both will." I told him and he smiled.

"Good, good. Now you must be hungry. We will have a feast!" He said. "Frank, go tell the chef to prepare the best food we have." The boy from the first day scampered off.

"You three go ahead and wash up." Elder Wilde said. We left the council room.

"I'm gonna go see Holly. I'll meet up with you guys later." He told me.

"I hope that Tyler kid didn't get in the way." I told Matt.

"Jake's a good guy, he'll get the girl in the end. Same as I did." He said, putting his hands around my waist and bringing me close to him. I closed the distance between us and kissed him.

"Tonight we can have alone time in my room." He whispered in my ear.

"I can't wait." I told him, then he kissed me one more time. "I've really got to shower cause I smell horrible."

"You smell great." He told me.

"Yeah, well, I'll see you at dinner." I told him. I made my way to my room and found Lindsey unpacking.

"Hi?" I asked.

"Hey, we're roommates, I hope your okay with that." She told me.

"Yeah, of course. Nice to have you. Sorry I was a bitch before. I wasn't sure if we'd see each other again." I told her.

"No problem. So what was it like?" She asked me.

"It was painful beyond description, but I fought through it, then Matt came in and helped with the rest." I told her.

"That is so amazing. So can I see...your fire?" She asked, sitting on her bed. I opened my palm and suddenly it was on fire.

"Wow! That's so amazing!" Lindsey said walking over to get a closer look. I closed my hand and it went out.

"I'm going to take a shower." I told her.

"Kay." I went into the bathroom and took a long hot shower. I brushed my hair till it was straight and put on minimal makeup. When I came out I saw Kayla and Brittany with Lindsey talking.

"Hey!" Kayla said, smiling.

"Hi." I went over to my bag and took out a pair of black skinny jeans.

"We were just talking about you. We're so happy you survived." She told me.

"Thanks. And Brittany, sorry I was bitch. I didn't know I'd be making it to say sorry." I told her.

"No problem. Once I heard about the myth, I totally understood it."

"I'm glad. So how was hiking?" I asked them.

"It was boring. We couldn't wait to come here for summer solstice." Lindsey said. I put on my pants and pulled out two beaters, one white and one bright blue. I put on the white one then the blue and slipped on my blue ankle boots. I put on a silver chain necklace.

"When is summer Solstice?" I asked them.

"It's on Sunday. This place is going to be packed." Brittany said.

"By the way, you guys never told me how you met your mates." I told them.

"We'll tell you while we go downstairs." And they had a story to tell as we went downstairs. Kayla went off with Lucas and Rafe took Lindsey away. Brittany finished the story. By the time she was finished, Connor was waiting for her. I felt hands come around me and I turned to see Matt.

"I missed you." I told him.

"I missed you too." He told me and kissed me on the neck.

"Shouldn't we get to dinner?" I asked him.

"Of course. No dessert before dinner." He told me. I smiled as he took my hand and led me outside. There was a long table and Tiki torches and candles everywhere. But weirdly they were unlit. Matt led me to the end of the table opposite of Holly and Jake.

"Hey." I said to them. Jake grinned and I grinned back. Our attentions were turned to Elder Wilde at the other end of the table.

"We gather here tonight to celebrate Kelly and Jake Parker. They were destined to die, but overcame destiny and fought their way through their transformation. Thank you to Matt Tanner who helped Kelly through her transformation." Everyone clapped and I shrunk into Matt. He put his arm around me and pulled me close to him.

"Now, Kelly would you do the honors of lighting the candles?"

"I would love to." I said smiling. I looked around at all the Tiki torches and candles. I looked back at the table and suddenly everything was lit. It was so nice and comforting.

The chef brought out racks of lamb and sauce, with mash potatoes and asparagus. Jake filled the cups with cold water. We ate and laughed together, as a family. I looked up to the sky to see if my mom was watching, knowing that she was happy with the way things had turned out.


End file.
